Another Man ~ FWE ~ LFCD

Another Man

I saw another man today

one I had not seen before

that’s been happening a lot lately

I thought I'd seen them all

how many are there, I wonder

as I occupy my own overblown

planetary space

minding my business, literally

a cop cruiser speeds by

slews...slows...screeches...stops

John Law jumps out

hand on hip holster

“Have you seen a man?”

“yes”

“which way was he going?

“it depends which man you mean.”

another cruiser comes

another cop queries

“have you seen this man?”

“It’s hard to see from up here”

(I’m on a ladder, you see)

I fire my Paslode gun -

he whirls - snarls

“Sir, please stop that -

this man is armed and dangerous!”

“Oh...THAT man...

I haven't seen him either..."

more cars - more cops - more queries

an army of armed-to-the-teeth

like flies on feces

35 cruisers, I counted

all looking for a man

the same man, I hoped

glad no one called for backup

they nabbed the bastard

in the basement of the building

where I build -

(so much for "you're not taking me alive...!)

I looked at the man -

he didn't look so big or bad -

dirty, disheveled, disoriented, disarmed

handcuffed - hamstrung -

harmless, he seemed

as he looked through me,

eyes glazed - vacant

I  wondered what he was on -

parole, probably

they spirited him away

the flotilla of frenetic enforcers

suddenly gone

suddenly serene

my world, again, my own

like a summer storm

here, then not

as if it never happened at all

so surreal -

another man walked by -

a different man

weird -

how many more men are there,

I wonder